Arianna Ballard
by keacdragon
Summary: An introduction to some of my OC's, you need to read this to understand the soon to be posted next chapters of my Dragonheart a New Age.  I really need to work on my rating levels... R&R please!
1. Chapter 1:  Mead and Misery

**Arianna Ballard**

**Summary: The night after Draco gets his name and before meeting up with Kara, Bowen gets drunk to the point of not being able to function, a nearly incoherent ramble lets Draco know how to help and introduces one of my OC's. Side-fic to my story "Dragonheart: A New Age", hope you enjoy enough to read more!**

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**Chapter One**

**Mead and Misery**

Draco winced slightly as Bowen's wild cursing blended with his terribly off-key and tune-less song, if it even deserved that title. One overly gracious money pouch after a "lake death" routine and one evening with plenty of alcohol and loud raucous celebration over the 'dragon's death' led to a drunk Bowen and a terrible morning after.

"I can't wait." Draco muttered to himself sarcastically as Bowen's 'singing' hit an octave the man _definitely_ wasn't capable of.

"Uh…Bowen?"

(_Unrecognizable words, badly attempted to be put to song, use your imagination_.)

Draco sighed; irritating lengths of time like this while Bowen was intoxicated always ended with at least one shouting match, fortunately Draco always won since Bowen usually passed out or would trip over a nonexistent obstacle and succumb to sleep where he landed, and then an even more irritating morning after with a hungover Bowen and a tired, headache plagued Draco.

"*_sigh_* Come on Bowen, your stallion's already at the campsite for tonight." Draco grumbled sourly, already dreading the lack of rest from Bowen's alcohol-induced talking in his sleep.

"I knew a lad named lady

His girl a bright young lass

And when he rode up into town

She rode upon his a…

You know what Dracho?"

The dragon sighed again, and so begins the drunken rambles that would lead to the shouting match, hopefully it wouldn't last long tonight.

"Dracho?"

Plus the lack of any speech abilities.

"What Bowen?"

"It not ab-ble to ride on laddy's err...ass while's he's a ridin' into town…his rear's gotta be in the saddle unless'es be ridin' a…err…"

Draco didn't bother trying to comprehend that ramble, that's what usually caused his headaches anyway, and obviously he wasn't looking forward to the experience.

"Whatever Bowen."

Bowen picked up wherever he left off in his song, Draco had given up trying to tell if it was an actual local bar song or not. Bowen's incoherent rambling started up sporadically, most of it pointless.

As the two made it to the campsite, to Draco the short walk was frustratingly slow, and to Bowen it was an excuse to start a different 'song' while still complaining about the first, Draco snorted a small ball of fire on a pile of logs, giving the staggering Bowen some light to see by as he 'checked' over his stallion.

"Hey Dracho?"

"Yes Bowen?"

"You know what Dracho?"

"What Bowen?"

"Yer ara dragchon Dracho."

"*_sigh_* Yes Bowen."

"You know what Dracho?"

"What Bowen?"

"Yer ara Drachgon, 'n' ya breathe firre!"

"*_sigh…grumble_*Yes Bowen."

"Hey Dragho?"

"*_growl_* What Bowen…?"

The lengthy pause between replies led Draco to sigh heavily and look over to where Bowen was swaying on his feet dangerously. The man was able to stumble forward to the fire and where he'd pre-arranged his blankets for the evening a few hours ago.

His sudden stopping didn't go so well and he nearly face planted into hot coals. Draco's tail slid in between the falling Bowen and hot flames, ignoring the heat and fire, the dragon eased Bowen back until the man could shakily sit down.

Bowen nodded gratefully, sobered faintly at that; he groaned loudly as he laid back again the saddle he used for a pillow, tugging the blankets around him. The two fell into silence.

"Draco?"

The dragon didn't bother opening tired eyes, "Yes Bowen?" He really hoped the man wouldn't start rambling again; he'd never get any sleep.

"Thanks…'r good…friend…"

Draco looked up then, Bowen was nearly asleep, but his words had been understandable, Draco smiled a little and shifted to lie more comfortably, until he noticed the slightly singed scales on his tail.

A low wince escaped the dragon as he gently licked the sore scales; it was mostly like sunburn in contact with hot water, painfully stinging, but not super bad. Usually the tail wasn't in contact with heat from a fire that close and the lack of really decent care made the scales weaken faintly and become more sensitive.

Draco's thoughts drifted back to a time where the people who worshipped his kind cared for dragons nearly as a stable master tends his finest stallion. The miracle salves they'd used to relieve itches in scales or even just a mild oil to strengthen the scales, leaving them with a glorious gleam, were something he missed.

But mostly, he missed the care they'd put into actually doing it. Firm yet gentle hands felt wonderful on sore muscles and aching necks. They had never asked for thanks, but Draco knew all too well that leaning against warm, solid scales was the best method of comfort many had used.

Another low sigh slid from Draco's throat as he stretched his neck before resting his chin on his talons, Bowen mumbled what sounded like a goodnight before the alcohol induced stupor set in.

Draco hummed appreciatively, no shouting match tonight.

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Well? what do you think, the next will be up momentarily...Review please!


	2. Chapter 2:  Surprise from the Author

**Arianna Ballard**

**Summary: The night after Draco gets his name and before meeting up with Kara, Bowen gets drunk to the point of not being able to function, a nearly incoherent ramble lets Draco know how to help and introduces one of my OC's. Side-fic to my story "Dragonheart: A New Age", hope you enjoy enough to read more!**

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**Chapter Two  
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**Sister Secrets  
**

Draco awoke early the next morning to near silence, a mild relief to a halfway restless night. Bowen had been mumbling and tossing in his sleep for a few hours after he'd fallen asleep.

The dragon first noticed the lack of a swearing Bowen over a headache, which was usually the cause of the dragon waking up; instead the uncomfortable sounds of a miserable, wretching Bowen had disturbed the dragon.

"Oh Bowen..." Draco trailed off with a soft sympathetic growl, knowing (reluctantly) exactly how the knight was feeling. Draco looked off from the knight, remembering how he'd preferred little to no contact with any others while feeling this bad.

xxx

Half an hour later, Bowen was able to stagger back to the fire that Draco had relit against the early dawn chill. Bowen sat cross-legged with a low maon, an arm wrapped around his aching stomach and the other held his head as he sat hunched over, absolutlely miserable.

"...Bowen?"

"*_moan_* huh?"

Draco grimaced at Bowen's hoarse voice, "Anything I can do?"

Bowen coughed roughly, "Don't eat anywhere near me." A low moan followed the statement as Bowen stood and returned to the tree line.

Soon enough the sound of the knight heaving again made it to Draco's ears.

xxx

It was midday when the light doze Draco had slipped into was broken by a soft snort from Bowen's stallion, the knight slowly saddling the horse and fastening his armor on the saddle instead of himself.

"How are you feeling?" Draco asked gently and stood as Bowen mounted.

"Been worse," Bowen snapped testily, "gonna head to the next village with an inn for the night; see if a softer bed will settle my stomach."

Draco nodded, usually Bowen's hangovers consisted of an hour or two of snapping and muttering curses, today the going on six hour ailment was not only abnormal, but extremely uncomfortable for Bowen.

xxx

Draco glided above Bowen, choosing to stay with the man instead of scouting ahead. Bowen's arms were nearly limp at his sides as he held the reins, mostly letting the horse amble along without much direction.

Before Draco could even blink a few seconds after the horse and rider had stopped on a narrow bridge, the knight began to hunch forward over the horse's neck, and soon he was sliding off.

The dragon dove from the air and scooped up the horse with the sick Bowen, only a semi shocked response from the stallion, he'd grown all too used to Draco's methods. Draco hadn't planned on a horse-scoop maneuver today, but seeing as Bowen was fighting for conciousness in his grip...

"Bowen?"

It took several minutes of Draco circling the bridge in a wide, slow circle before Bowen was able to answer with a low moan.

"Any suggestions" The dragon asked uneasily as he drifted towards a section of woods with a wide but shallow, glittering creek; Bowen's fever-flushed cheek rest against the dragon's wrist heavily.

Bowen must have seen the water as well since he stirred enough from his stricken daze and the heat from his fever left Draco's wrist briefly.

"Head North, follow Wayman's Creek."

Draco sighed softly when Bowen moaned after speaking loudly and probably uncomfortably, but the dragon complied, trying to keep his flying smooth.

Another set of several tense minutes followed when Bowen remained deadly silent and led the already edgy Draco to really hope the man hadn't passed out.

Bowen suddenly stiffened as an isolated cottage and barnyard came into view in the middle of a large clearing in the woods.

"There."

Draco stiffened suddenly in the sky, his wings jerking on air and making Bowen lurch in the saddle; even the stallion reacted with a loud whinny.

A pair palomino (gold) horses in the farm's pasture called back to the horse in the sky, a man and a woman exited the lodge and glance around before looking up at Draco's flapping form.

The dragon hadn't been shocked at the sudden stop or the fact that Bowen was risking showing the dragon the hopefully people who could help.

Draco reacted to instinctual recognition of dragon slayers...

* * *

She watched with bated breath, the patience and tense form of a natural huntress.

He shifted slightly, barely noticeable beside her. Just a prepartory twitch of his finger to make sure the muscles were perfectly ready to clutch a weapon.

The dragon was massive.

Easily over forty feet long, most likely close to twenty feet at the height of his shoulders.

She hadn't seen that glorious coloring in years, and that was saying something.

She didn't know what to do, the dragon would throw a huge fight and there was no way she was risking her own home, now if they could lure him away...

The dragon didn't seem to notice though, he too was uneasy.

The huge copper landed a little awkwardly, the horse in his clutches seeming to be perfectly at ease with the beast.

The horse's rider on the other hand...

Was falling off the saddle even with the dragon's talon's (as long as her arm) gently supporting the man...

She minutely narrowed her eyes to focus on the man a second longer than she normally would have dared take her eyes off the dragon, something about how his black tunic fell on his muscular shoulders and arms...

Or it was the raggedy leather surcoat lain across the armor tied to the back of the saddle with the emblem showing off proudly, and warningly.

The man beside her noticed it too, the ever so faint hitch in his breathing the only indication of his recognition.

The two humans and the dragon stood tensed, none of them wanting to move, but the other man couldn't wait...

xxx

Draco grimaced internally as Bowen moaned loudly and slumped heavily against the dragon's paw, he was fighting not only to remain awake but now also for breath.

This time, Draco did hear the other man's gasp as a reaction, he visibly stiffened and semi-crouched lower, instinctively protecting his softer underbelly, and in turn Bowen.

A low growl started building in his throat, deepening in his chest as a warning no one should take lightly.

The man moved his hand slowly behind him to grab a dagger, Draco could tell just by how his arm tightened in response to grabbing the hilt, he'd had way too much experience.

Bowen groaned, this time shifting feebly, "Shuddup dragon."

The phrase may have been said with a hoarse, weak voice, but the command was strong.

The woman startled at the sound, then stupidly relaxed her guard as Draco's tail swung agitatedly.

"Bowen you ass! What the hell didya do now?"

Another groan was her answer and she stepped forward quickly, only for Draco to actually lunge and snap at her.

The other man tackled her to the ground just in time.

"Leave...'em be...Draco."

Bowen's voice was too weak to carry anymore, and the dragon was even straining to hear him.

A slight hiss was the dragon's 'are you sure' reply.

Bowen grunted an affirmative, and the dragon turned a sigh of acknowledgement into a low, dangerous snarl as he gently eased Bowen fully onto the ground and jumped into the air, quickly disappearing into the sky and sun.

xxx

The lady jumped to her feet the second the dragon was in the air, though that was stupid and had cost others their lives she didn't care.

She stopped quick and kneeled beside the ill Bowen, he gave her a faint smile, his hand reaching up to gently stroke her cheek as she clutched at his hand.

The man crouched beside her looking over the knight with a hunter's critical gaze, "Doesn't look like you got beat up."

Bowen let a short laugh out, barely able to suppress the following coughs, "Boromir, I was wondering when I would see you again if not in Hell."

"Sshh Bowen," The lady soothed as Bowen slid into a coughing fit, "Let's get you taken care of and then you have some explaining to do."

Boromir eased Bowen up and slung an arm over his shoulders, taking most of the knight's weight with ease.

Bowen suddenly seized up just before reaching the lodge door, collapsing out of Boromir's grip and starting into dry, body spasming heaves.

The lady was instantly at his side again, holding his tangled hair from his face and gently stroking his fever-flushed cheeks.

"I'm here my brother."


	3. Chapter 3:  Roofing Reaction

**Arianna Ballard**

**Summary: The night after Draco gets his name and before meeting up with Kara, Bowen gets drunk to the point of not being able to function, a nearly incoherent ramble lets Draco know how to help and introduces two of my OC's. Side-fic to my story "Dragonheart: A New Age", hope you enjoy enough to read more!**

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**Chapter Three  
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**Roofing Reaction  
**

xxx

Boromir glanced behind him at the sleeping knight in Arianna's house, Bowen was ash gray, and breathing weakly.

The idiot drank mead again.

And he was severely allergic to the drink.

Boromir shook his head as he left to tend to the horses in the pasture, his stallion Miradox, quietly protesting Bowen's Ahearn in the pasture with Sunny, Arianna's mare.

But bother stallions were flirts and the mare had weaned her foal a week ago...

Bowen and Boromir would have to have a contest or something to determine which stallion would be the next sire.

If that is...

Bowen made it out of this...

xxx

Draco sighed softly from where he lay along a riverbank, watching the ripples from his wingtip in the water halfway out into the river.

He really hoped Bowen would be alright, oddly enough he'd grown used to the man's 'interesting' company and actually...

...

Missed him...

xxx

x

xxx

Arianna growled the next morning as she tugged at the rope Boromir had tied around her waist to drape over the far side of the barn.

The dragon had ripped a hole in her barn roof and there were summer crops to bring in from her small home garden.

Boromir was too heavy for her to hold onto the rope if he slipped on the far side of the barn. And Bowen was still out cold.

Arianna climbed up the pegs on the inside of the barn and out through the hole by the rafters, she had already had Boromir throw a bundle of straw up for her to fix the gap.

As she worked she heard a low hum begin from Boromir, he was bored and wasn't paying attention.

And Arianna stood up...

xxx

Draco didn't know why he was going _back_ to the dragon slayers' house, but he had to check on Bowen, Einon's men and the king himself were out an about hunting and the dragon wasn't going to risk a encounter if he could help it.

As he neared the farm, the woman was on the roof of her barn, patching a hole he must've made when he took off yesterday...

Then she fell...

xxx

Bowen wasn't sure if it was Boromir's shout that woke him...

Or Draco's wings...

Or Arianna's scream...

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**Yes...short I know...anyone still interested?**

**Review Please!  
**


	4. Chapter 4:  Friendly Encounters

**Arianna Ballard**

**Summary: The night after Draco gets his name and before meeting up with Kara, Bowen gets drunk to the point of not being able to function, a nearly incoherent ramble lets Draco know how to help and introduces two of my OC's. Side-fic to my story "Dragonheart: A New Age", hope you enjoy enough to read more!**

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**Chapter Four  
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**Friendly Encounters  
**

xxx

Bowen had staggered as fast as his dizzy mind would allow, up off the bed and out of the lodge, barely registering what he was doing...

"Arianna!"

He and Boromir froze, Bowen's sister was cradled gently in the talons of Draco's left fore paw against his chest as the dragon landed awkwardly.

Arianna was shaking as the dragon gently lowered her to the ground, moving to help her to her feet, only Arianna was too deep in shock to barely remember to breathe.

Bowen stepped forward just before the lady crumpled to the ground, wrapping her in his arms protectively.

"Damn it Arianna! What the hell were you doing on that barn!"

"I was sight seeing brother! That's what all lunatic little sisters do when their sibling gets themselves drunk and poisoned to the point they get to finally see each other after **nine** years when one of them is on their deathbed!"

Bowen leaned back from her a bit, shaking his head to stop the ringing, she was as bad as Draco.

"Not my fault!"

"Oh really? So a random stranger shoved mead down you throat?"

"_Arianna_."

"No, why do you always have to be such a jerk about this!"

"'cause you always come home drunk, injured, or dying!"

"_Bowen_."

"Not _always_! Just **most** of the time!"

"Oh come on!"

"Hey!"

"_Will you two settle down please_?"

"Bowen! Gawd! You're such an ass brother!"

"Right back atcha sister!"

"_Oh will someone just shut them up_!"

"Bow-"

"Ari-"

_**ROAR!**_

The two closest to Draco winced and covered their ears, leaning away from the draogn.

Boromir smirked, running a hand through his dirty blond hair that fell to his jaw, met Draco's eyes, "Thanks for that dragon, never did figure out how to shut 'em up without water or a brick."

Draco just nodded and backed up a step as Arianna rested her eyes on the massive dragon.

She raised her eye brow delicately, her eyes taking in every detail as she slowly slid her hands to her hips.

"Well?"

Bowen's brows furrowed as Boromir snickered behind them.

"What Arianna?"

"*_sigh_* Damn Bowen you're dense, tell me why you've ended up in the company of a _dragon_ of all creatures..."

Bowen groaned loudly, "Now that will take awhile."

Arianna turned to him and crossed her arms, "Boromir will feed the studs, I have a stew simmering, you still need rest before I'll let you _near_ that horse, and you..."

She turned to Draco, making Bowen groan again as he slapped his forehead, he really should've warned the dragon about his sister.

"And you dragon, find your own meal, if you touch those horses I'll give you a matching pair of scars that run down your wings."

xxx

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xxx

It was dark when Draco crept back to the farm, the horses were munching on hay, the lodge was dimly lit, the hearth and a single candle in a separate room the only light, two deep, low voices were talking near the hearth, Boromir and Bowen, Draco discovered since Arianna opened a pair of shutters and blew out the single candle before going to bed.

"So...Now what are you going to do? If word gets to far...the rest of us will come looking for more profit, or a few hotheads looking to make a name...one of these days Bowen you're going to slip up..."

"I know, I know Boromir...but what other option do I have? I can't go and murder Einon that won't do much if Brok and Felton are still kicking...and the dragon I wanted is dead..."

"Looks like you've got yourself a business partner until you do think of something..."

"Mhm..."

"Hey, Bowen?"

"Yeah?"

"She's...been askin' for you...at the lodge with a few other decent enough slayers to keep her safe but..."

"They're not me..."

"Mmm..."

"*sigh*...if I get that way I'll see her, but if I die before hand..."

"What?"

"Tell 'er I want my dagger back."

Boromir laughed softly, then hugged the man who was like his brother.

"Take care, I don't want to have to escort your sister to another funeral...the last was bad enough..."

"I shall, keep Arianna safe as well, I'll try to stop by again soon."

"Not about to die though right?"

"Nope, but drunk or broken at least."

The pair laughed before Boromir extinguished the remaining lights besides the hearth, and Bowen left the lodge.

xxx

Draco watched Bowen's slow movements as he readied his blankets for bed, they'd traveled only a few miles, but enough to get away from the farm.

The man was silent, too quiet for Draco's liking, and it only grew worse when Bowen sighed heavily, laying down and draping his forearm over his eyes, a soft hitch in his breathing grew a little louder as he rolled away from Draco, lying on his side and staring into the dark night.

Draco listened silently, his acute ears hearing the ever so faint shifts in Bowen's breath as he let the tears fall...

As he cried for what he'd lost, even though it was right in front of him...

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**Thank you for reading, review please...**


	5. Chapter 5:  Final Moments

**Arianna Ballard**

**Summary: The night after Draco gets his name and before meeting up with Kara, Bowen gets drunk to the point of not being able to function, a nearly incoherent ramble lets Draco know how to help and introduces two of my OC's. Side-fic to my story "Dragonheart: A New Age", hope you enjoy enough to read more!**

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**Chapter Five  
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**Friendly Aid and Final Moments  
**

xxx

Draco awoke just after Bowen the next morning, and winced suddenly as he twitched his tail and the singed scales hit the rough ground. The dragon jerking to his feet, recoiling away from the knight as Bowen turned, his tail held close to his body and eyes shut against the agony.

"Draco?"

The dragon only winced again, a low whine sliding from his lips as he reflexively backed away from Bowen.

"Draco."

Again Draco backed away, ignoring the trees as he only comprehended the sharp, stinging pain making it hard for him to move.

"Draco, stop."

He understood the order, freezing and leaning against the trees nudging his spine a little as footsteps approached.

He heard the hand extend towards his tail and he involuntarily hissed a warning.

"Easy," A voice murmured, the hand retreating then appearing on his lowered cheek, his eyes fluttered a little as his entire head dropped several inches so it was closer to Bowen's, his breath slowing and tense muscles relaxing.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

"You were too drunk then ill."

Bowen sighed faintly, his own stupidity had caused the dragon harm.

"Will you let me see? I swear I won't touch unless you permit."

He nodded, slowly easing back onto the ground and resting his tail on his forelegs, ironically much like a cat, the singed scales faced upwards, unable to handle any pressure.

"Yeowch." Bowen murmured as he crouched down, eyes critically examining the blackened scales that were cracked and breaking.

Draco moaned a faint agreement, head dropping to the forest floor with a thud.

Bowen stood and moved away, his silence made Draco shift his head to watch him grab his water skin, then hiss as Bowen tenderly dribbled the water over the scales until they were soaked, letting the water seep in before doing it again.

"Shhh, easy Draco, it's alright."

"Easy *_grunt_* for you to say *_moan_*...*_hiss_*...oohhh..."

"Is it just me or are the two of you accident prone?"

Draco opened his eyes again to find Arianna astride her palomino mare, the horse snorting a bit but otherwise completely calm with being only a yard or so away from the dragon.

Bowen didn't turn, just continued applying water to the burn.

Arianna sighed, swinging off her horse and tying it with Bowen's before grabbing her own waterskin.

"Here brother, let me, you go fill these while I work."

Bowen nodded, taking off into the woods towards the creek while Arianna grabbed handfuls of herbs from her bag on her shoulder, tearing them as she occasionally poured water on Draco's tail, the dragon hissing in response.

xxx

Bowen returned to find a slightly filthy Arianna and a dragon who'd drastically changed in the span of half an hour, the creek was a little farther on foot than he'd though.

Draco lay nearly completely relaxed, eyes half shut and barely registering Bowen's return until the knight companionably stroked his nose.

"Feelin' better?"

"Mmm."

Arianna stood from whatever she'd been doing, a smile on her face that suited her much better than the scowl usually directed at Bowen.

"The burn had blistered almost instantly and was infected, pretty much as bad as those bright red sun burns you were so fond of getting as a child."

Bowen smirked, "And yet you always came home with frostbitten toes and fingers."

"Touche."

Draco hummed a little then eased back up until he was on his stomach again, tail twitching a little, Bowen looked down to see strips of cloth holding the poultice on that was most likely finishing the job the sweet smelling salves had started.

"Remind me why you two are doing this charade?"

"Got a better idea?"

"Horse Breeding?"

Draco just snorted while Bowen shook his head, leaning to stand mostly with his weight on one leg, his hands went to his hips.

"That's only half the bargain."

"Oh?"

"His being with me keeps his head on his neck. And not as some clot-head's trophy. Or in boredom of the constant attacks."

Arianna shook her head, "Waste of arrows in my opinion." She remarked glancing to Bowen's half empty quiver that held the arrows custom for his Yew Bow.

Bowen threw his hands in the air, giving up the argument he hadn't meant to slip into before turning away.

"*_Ahem_*"

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Bowen turned to see a handful of arrows being offered to him, just the right length and resiliency for his bow.

"How did you-"

Arianna shrugged it off, "We Ballards stick out for each other."

"Quiad."

"Ballard."

"Quiad."

"Ballard."

"Qu-aid."

"Ball-ard."

"Quiad!"

"Ballard!"

Draco groaned loudly, falling back to lay on his side, a paw running down his face. No wonder Boromir grew fed up with those two, five minutes in to see them together "normally" and even Draco's patience was wearing thin.

Maybe he could find a way to shut them up that didn't involve too much noise...nah, wasn't worth the effort.

xxx

Arianna was still rubbing her temples at midday as Bowen growled faintly from his headache.

"Damn, Draco could you have gotten any louder?"

"Yes."

Bowen groaned, not wanting to imagine the sheer volume the dragon could reach let alone what he'd already done.

"Hey Bowen?"

"Yes Arianna?"

"It's Ballard."

A low growl.

"Arianna?"

"Bowen?"

"No, it's Quiad."

Draco stuck his head between the two, snarling a little. "Do either of you mind telling me what this petty argument is about and what it's worth?"

Arianna looked around Draco's head to Bowen, "Pick one half of that and I'll take the other."

"And why am I choosing?"

"Cause I'm being generous."

"_Arianna..._"

Draco groaned, rolling his eyes, "Enough."

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

Bowen let gaze drop to the ground, his mind piecing long dead memories together into a somewhat comprehensible order.

"Our...parents were from two completely different words, our father the aristocratic life of a knight under the king..."

"And our mother from the pagan beliefs founded by the Old Ways."

"Arianna, let me speak."

"Sorry."

"They only agreed on upholding the Old Code, even the two of us were to them 'objects' to fight over. When I was knighted I kept my father's name in honor of his memory, and then our mother died when I entered Freyne's Service..."

"And I took her name and headed out."

"It's outta pure habit that we argue, something to remember what names we bear weren't always our original ones."

Draco nodded, leaning back then idly scratched at the poultice on his tail.

"Don't mess with it! Geez, you're as bad as Bowen!"

"Hey!'

"Well you do hate being told _not_ to do something."

"Don't push it _sister_."

"And why not _brother_?"

Draco shook his head, watching the two banter briefly before they all tensed at the sound of hunting horns farther off.

"Looks like it's time for you to get going."

"Yeah..."

"Sorry."

"Mmm..."

Arianna helped Bowen pack up the small camp quickly, securing the blankets to the saddle, armor onto Bowen, and checking over the stallion personally before holding the reins as Bowen swung up with ease and Draco stood.

Handing her brother his water skin and the reins Arianna kept her silence as she mounted her own mare, pulling alongside the knight.

"Be careful."

"As you."

"Like that's worth much, come on, I fell off my own barn!"

Bowen chuckle was a bit strangled, "You know I-"

"Bowen..."

"Will _try_..."

"Eh, better than nothing."

Bowen gave her a genuine smile, Draco copying when he saw just how relaxed Bowen was.

"Oh, wait another hour and peel that junk off his tail, wash it and any black part that will peel off, it 'll be fine after that."

"Thank you, and I'll try to see you soon."

"I'll be waiting brother."

Draco watched the two for a moment, then stepped away, taking to the air to give them a moment alone.

He was still able to see Bowen yank Arianna out of her saddle and into his lap, hugging her tight before helping her back onto her mare.

Exactly two minutes after they'd parted, Arianna shouted up to the circling dragon, "Hey! If you get bored with his antics do me favor and try to set him up with some lady! My matchmaking skill only extend so far and-"

"Arianna!"

Her laughter echoed in the trees as she spun the horse around, disappearing to the east as Bowen nudged his stallion to the west and the mountains.

xxx

xx

xxx

The next afternoon, Bowen paused at the start of this village, taking a moment to glance over the lakeside dwellings with its own pond in the center. He glanced to the upper clouds, a faint shadow darting behind one, Draco was ready.

Bowen maneuvered in between people on the edge of a mob, listening to the shouts.

"Throw off the yoke of Einon's oppression!"

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**Yeah! My very first completed story! Hope you enjoy the last chapter!**


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